The first time I made this dish was for Christmas dinner, and it was an instant hit. Who can resist buttery-tender beef tenderloin with a red wine marinade and not one, but two sauces: a pan sauce made with the drippings and extra marinade, and a parsley, dill, and mint-flecked horseradish cream?

Why this recipe works:

Beef tenderloin, a lean and non-marbled cut, benefits from a flavorful marinade that's repurposed as a pan sauce.

Searing the meat before it's finished in a high oven gives it a nicely browned crust while keeping the lean meat moist and juicy inside.

Procedures

Place trimmed beef tenderloin in a resealable bag. Add wine, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, garlic, oregano, thyme, 2 teaspoons dill and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Seal, squish around to combine and place in the refrigerator to marinate for 4 to 6 hours.

2

When ready to cook, adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat oven to 425°F. Remove meat from the refrigerator and pat dry with paper towels.

3

Season meat with salt and pepper. Fold small end of tenderloin back on itself by a few inches to create an even thickness. Secure meat with kitchen twine at 2-inch intervals to create an evenly sized roast.

4

Heat 1 ½ tablespoons oil in a large, oven-safe roasting pan or Dutch oven until shimmering. Sear meat until well browned on all sides, about 8 minutes total. Add marinade to the pan and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Transfer meat to the oven to cook until meat reaches an internal temperature of 125°F as registered on an instant-read thermometer for medium-rare, 20 to 30 minutes.

5

Remove meat from the oven, transfer to a platter and allow to rest for 10 minutes. While the meat is resting, deglaze the pan on the stove top over medium-high heat, adding beef broth and scraping up browned bits from the bottom of the pan using a wooden spoon. Swirl in butter to finish the sauce. Taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary.

6

In a small bowl, mix the sour cream, horseradish, parsley, mint, remaining 2 teaspoons dill and remaining 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper and stir to combine.

7

Cut string from roast and discard. Slice meat and place on a platter. Drizzle with pan sauce and serve immediately with horseradish cream.

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About the Author

Jennifer Olvera is the author of Food Lovers' Guide to Chicago, and she has all-but tested and developed recipes since toddlehood. She writes the Sunday Supper column for Serious Eats and regularly contributes food features to Chicago Sun-Times. She can often be found tending her garden, canning and traveling to far-flung destinations, where she writes about local edibles for pubs like Los Angeles Times and Frommers.com.